Background

Introduction of ‘feminised’ cigarettes: long, extra slim, light coloured, low tar and flavoured are such strategies used. Recent evidence suggests that those are increasingly used in developing countries.[2][3][4]

Image 1: Sunday Times reporting the launch of the fruit flavoured cigarette.[5]

Launching a New Cigarette

A national newspaper (Sunday Times) reported that CTC launched a new cigarette with red berry flavour. It was reported to be a “line extension” of the John Player Gold Leaf brand, the most commonly sold cigarette brand in Sri Lanka. The article further quoted unnamed “research analysts” stating that it is “a bid to attract new segments – possibly females”(Image 1). A Research Analyst of Asia Securities Limited, Mangalee Gunatilleke, reportedly stated that (CTC) would monitor its “effectiveness and acceptability” before adding it to the permanent portfolio.[5][6]Asia Securities identify themselves as “Globally recognized for our excellence in market making, trading and international standard research, we are the leading independent equity brokerage in Sri Lanka.” in their website.[7]

However, even though the newspaper reported such a launch, the cigarette was not found in the retail shops tried by the TobaccoUnmasked team nor the launch was reported by other newspapers.

CTC’s History of Targeting Girls and Women

There is evidence that CTC targeted women in their promotion of cigarettes. A research publication reported that CTC targeted girls to smoke in the Benson & Hedges’ “Golden Tones Disco” in 1997 with “intensive” cigarette promotion and free admission tickets. The same publication described how a road safety message was displayed in the front wall of a famous girl’s school in Kandy with the logo of CTC Eagle, a subsidiary of CTC. Please refer to our page CTC Eagle for more details.[8]

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) keen to recruit young girls for their marketing purposes, such as distributing free cigarettes and promotional items in public places.[8] And also, they uses well paid young attractive women as “model” smokers targeting young girls.[9]